Found out yesterday I'm diabetic

[callumchilled]

I accidentally found out I was diabetic yesterday. A friend of mine who is a diabetic nurse at the hospital here that I've been in for over a week, told me. She said my AbCda1 (or whatever it's called) was very high, 92.4, and that my blood sugars the nurses had been measuring were very high as well. From 14.8 to 24.9.

I'm very scared as nobody seems to be telling me what's going on. I've been in hospital for one and a half weeks now.

 

[pavlosn]

Hi callumchilled

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that to got to find out about it in a traumatic way.

I am tagging @daisy1 who will soon be along with lots of very useful information about diabetes. Read and digest and ask any questions you feel you have to. Lots of experienced knowledgeable diabetics on this forum more than willing to listen and offer advice.

I know it is scary and confusing at first but you are in a hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses who will no doubt take care of you and hopefully let you know what is going on.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Guzzler]

Hello and welcome callumchilled. It takes two HbA1c tests to diagnose diabetes under normal circumstances but it seems your blood glucose levels in the teens and twenties are, indeed, an indicators for the condition. What strikes me is that it was a nurse giving you the news and the fact that you may be on a drug regime that might affect those levels.

 

[Sam50]

Hi Callumchilled and welcome to the forum,

Sorry to hear that you are in hospital and hope that you will soon be on the road to recovery. The test that your nurse friend was talking about was the HbA1C test which measures the amount of glucose bonded to your blood cells over the past 2-3 months and is used to diagnose diabetes.

You will probably be prescribed medication to help lower your blood glucose and many diabetic people follow a low-carb way of eating. Lots of info here on the forum but basically it is to reduce/remove things like bread/potato/pasta/rice/flour/processed foods from your diet.

Don't be surprised if you are given conflicting dietary advice from the nurse-listen to what people advise here on the forum and try not to worry. There is a lot you can do to help yourself x

 

[CherryAA]

I accidentally found out I was diabetic yesterday. A friend of mine who is a diabetic nurse at the hospital here that I've been in for over a week, told me. She said my AbCda1 (or whatever it's called) was very high, 92.4, and that my blood sugars the nurses had been measuring were very high as well. From 14.8 to 24.9.

I'm very scared as nobody seems to be telling me what's going on. I've been in hospital for one and a half weeks now.

Hi there,

Don't panic, you can probably control this yourself with a few simply changes to your diet. Of course you will be receiving medical advice , however there is noting to stop you helping yourself as well. You need to find out if they think it is type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Your figures are exactly like mine on diagnosis in August 2016. Hba1c 90, blood sugar 18.4 range 14-25. . I have T2 diabetes. Prior to diagnosis I had tingling in my hands and feet, a dry cough, terrible lethargy, sepsis ( two incidents - one hospitalised for a week) and a detached retina which resulted in cateract surgery

At the diagnosis my own doctor called me in a panic for me to go onto major medication immediately. I refused and simply adopted an LCHF diet immediately - that means cutting out all carbohydrates, sugar, flour, pasta, rice, bread, processed foods and instead eating real foods - eggs, meat, fish, cheese, butter, olive oil and above ground vegetables. Over time as I learned more I started to become more sophisticated in my choices and glucose testing methods - for me the urgent priority was to stop eating the worst culprits as quickly as I could

Is the reason you are in hospital your blood sugar readings or is it something else?

Either way, unless your reason for being there is something that means you cannot control your food intake, if it were me in hospital I would cut out eating any of the carbohyrdates in the hospital food and ask a friend to bring in some meat, canned tuna, salad, cheese. - so no bread,cereal, anything sweet, soft drinks, fruits

Whilst it takes a while to normalise everything ( in my case about 6 months, some people its faster some slower)

I saw a dramatic improvement in my blood sugar measurements in short order and today all the other ailments have disappeared as well with no ongoing problems as a result of the original issues ( and I am 27 kg lighter) and frankly I can see better from the eye I had to have surgery on , than the other one and better than I ever have been able to my whole life!

By way of example for me the morning readings went from
18.4 day 1 range 14- 25
16.0 day 3 range 12- 20
12.0 day 4 range 9 - 14
10.0 day 5 range 8- 13

within a month my averages were in the 9's
two months - 8's
three months 7's
four months 6's

today I'm usually in the 5's on average with the vast majority of all readings under 7.8 just like a non diabetic individual

I'm fitter an healthier now that I've been for 45 years - just by adopting LCHF. my signature shows how my Hba1C changed since I started.

I'm not unusual on here - you can probably become become one of us too. So take a look round the forum and look at the low carb diet program.

Above all relax in the knowledge you found a place where there are a lot of people willing to provide information about how they are dealing with the problem.

Don't be surprised if you hear none of this from the hospital first and if they try to put you on insulin to help bring down your glucose, ask them to prove you are not making your own insulin first. If you are ( and the number for fasting insulin may come back sky high) then adding in more insulin is unlikely to help, cutting out carbs should.

welcome to the club no-one wants to join

 

[callumchilled]

Thank you for your kind words. It is all very scary at the moment. I came into hospital as I'd collapsed in the middle of the road while crossing it. I get severe migraines as well that don't help, and my mobility is dodgy at the best of times. I'm currently waiting to do the 'make a cup of tea' test again to see if I can go home. I failed at it yesterday. They did a pre dinner glucose test on my finger about an hour ago and it was 28.9

 

[Resurgam]

Ah - then I assume that the hospital is feeding you carb heavy foods - not surprising really.
I had almost the same readings at initial diagnosis - in six months I had normal readings, but I changed my diet from the supposedly cholesterol lowering diet I was on back to the Atkins diet I have tried to follow for a very long time - my doctors have never approved, but has always made me feel on top of the world, and made me a lot thinner too.
Whilst you have such high BG readings you will feel pretty bad, I'm afraid, and be confused easily - so I hope that you can do the cup of tea test and get home, then you can control your own diet to some extent at least - maybe organise deliveries of foods - the low carb diet is, to my way of thinking, one of the best possible ways to eat.
The only thing to be scared of - if anything - is for the ignorance of the way to eat to control diabetes to continue to be the accepted teaching.
Embrace bacon and eggs for breakfast, roast meat as normal fodder, and drink coffee with cream and you'll be on the right track.
The doctor who gave me the diagnosis last year has not spoken to me since - I think he might be sulking. He put me on medication which made me so ill - I don't take it now, I just stick to the right foods and I am fine.

 

[AM1874]

Hi @callumchilled .. and welcome
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

Your blood sugar levels are high and it does seem as though you might well be diabetic. By looking at what steps you can take while waiting for your next test and/or confirmation, though, you will be making a positive start in dealing with your diagnosis. The key point to take on board now is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I see that @pavlosn has already tagged @ daisy1 has for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

Unless you are given a test meter and strips by your doc or practice nurse (unlikely) .. it is a top priority that you get yourself one and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.

The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available

I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them

Hope this helps

 

[CherryAA]

Thank you for your kind words. It is all very scary at the moment. I came into hospital as I'd collapsed in the middle of the road while crossing it. I get severe migraines as well that don't help, and my mobility is dodgy at the best of times. I'm currently waiting to do the 'make a cup of tea' test again to see if I can go home. I failed at it yesterday. They did a pre-dinner glucose test on my finger about an hour ago and it was 28.9

What are they feeding you?
Have they tested you for ketoacidosis ?
Have thy told you what type of diabetes they think you have?

have you had any other tests - e.g. fasting insulin or c-peptide

 

[lely]

I'm surprised the hospital are considering letting you go home if you have readings that high. Especially if the hba1c was high, your blood sugars have been high for sometime, I suspect you may need to have that stabilised and brought down before a discharge is granted.
I was diagnosed 10 years ago. put on tablets assumed type2 and told to eat normal which I did. No low carb just normal. I was not overweight then or now and was miss diagnosed and ran into other trouble 2 years after eventually being put on insulin and diagnosed type 1. In a type 1 case insulin is most definitely needed, there is no way round that.
You said you feel like noone is telling you anything. To be honest if when i was diagnosed it didn't matter what they told me I'd have never have understood, it takes time to absorb all the info and understand your own body. Every diabetic is different you can use others experiences as a guide but ultimately your diabetes it's as individual as your fingerprint.
Some (type2) can change their lifestyle and massively improve their control others (type1s etc) can't improve their control by lifestyle change alone some medication is necessary.

Once you know what you diagnosis is you will be in the right path.
I wish you well and I've had so much help and advice from this forum, you have definitely come to the right place.

 

[callumchilled]

Ketoacids are 2.01 so ok there

 

[callumchilled]

Feeding me a normal diet as everything on the menu is supposed to be suitable for diabetics. Don't know if I'm type 1 or 2 but think I might be type 2

 

[daisy1]

@callumchilled

Hello Callumchilled and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful for you. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 250,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[Phoenix55]

Welcome to the forum @callumchilled . It can all be a bit much at first, so take it at your own pace but I would start by buying a meter when you leave the hospital and then testing your own BG 2 hours after each meal and keeping a record of what you have eaten and the result. If your BG has increased by more than 2 then you have eaten too many carbs for your body to tolerate at the moment. You will be given conflicting advice from lots of different people because everyone is different and it takes time and courage to find your own way. It is a steep learning curve initially but I work best with small steps that I know I can manage and when I think I have got that aspect under control move on to the next.

As a general guide aim for single figure BG, then bring it down further. Your readings are very high and likely to cause unpleasant complications down the line if you don't change what you are eating.

 

[CherryAA]

Feeding me a normal diet as everything on the menu is supposed to be suitable for diabetics. Don't know if I'm type 1 or 2 but think I might be type 2

Pretty much "nothing" on the menu is likely to be suitable for a diabetic. - unless its real food - coming from something living of whatever variety it will be packed full of sugar / processed food in some form because that's what is cheap.

Are you overweight ? if so then ditching the carbs immediately is probably your best bet,it won't matter too much if you can't find replacement foods for a while, your body w ill quickly adapt to using your own fat resources if you give it a chance to. . You can figure out in a while which of the various versions of losing weight whilst not eating many carbs best suits you and your dietary preferences in due course. I started to feel a whole lot better within very few days of doing this. its a long slog to get truly fixed, but you may be surprised at just how much better you feel without the carbs inside you .

The thing its hard for me to my head around was that carbohyrdrates - bread, pasta, wheat, deserts, low fat produce, all turn to glucose in the body just like table sugar does. its highly likely that the doctors may say something like - make sure you eat regular meals, make sure you include some carbs in each on to help " stabilise " your blood sugars , take the pills, or even have some insulin. That is a vicious circle I did not want to go down - at least not until I knew that a change in diet wouldn't work for me for whatever the reason. My doctor was highly sceptical at first, now he is a convert.

Frankly if you are anything like me, you have been gradually feeling iller for a while now, this problem did not emerge overnight and it will take a while to bring it under control, but you can make a fairly big difference in fairly short order by getting rid of the carbohyrdrates.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Feeding me a normal diet as everything on the menu is supposed to be suitable for diabetics. Don't know if I'm type 1 or 2 but think I might be type 2

Believe us when we say there will be very little on the menu suitable for diabetics. The NHS thinks only sugar needs to be avoided. They forget that all carbohydrate turns to glucose once inside the system, so do be careful with your menu choices. Hopefully you will be home soon and in charge of your own diet. The hospital food will be doing your blood sugar levels no favours at all. Try to stick to things like omelets, salads, vegetables, meat and fish but no spuds, no bread, no breakfast cereals, no fruit. It is hard in hospital.

 

[Granny_grump_]

Believe us when we say there will be very little on the menu suitable for diabetics. The NHS thinks only sugar needs to be avoided. They forget that all carbohydrate turns to glucose once inside the system, so do be careful with your menu choices. Hopefully you will be home soon and in charge of your own diet. The hospital food will be doing your blood sugar levels no favours at all. Try to stick to things like omelets, salads, vegetables, meat and fish but no spuds, no bread, no breakfast cereals, no fruit. It is hard in hospital.

Wish you a speedy recovery take care. Kathleen

 

[Resurgam]

Feeding me a normal diet as everything on the menu is supposed to be suitable for diabetics. Don't know if I'm type 1 or 2 but think I might be type 2

If there is cereal, bread, potatoes, beans - that accounts for your high blood sugars.
The 'educator' I went to for three sessions at the beginning of this year blethered on about how we should eat wholemeal or brown carbs, how beans were good for us - and I was looking at her shocked to my socks.
There was one poor man there with his wife, he was so ill, and I tried to talk to him afterwards, tell him that it was nonsense, I managed a few words with them after the second session, but he wasn't there for the third one.
You might be able to find a copy of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution online - that is the whole book to download. There is method, recipes, lists of suitable foods - I can recommend it if you are type 2 - well even type ones might benefit though it depends on what they are advised and prescribed, but I have yet to find a doctor or nurse who did not think it dangerous. It has given my diabetes a good kicking, I can assure you of that.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. As others have said, the NHS hasn't clue about the right diet for diabetes. Keep all carbs way down and ignore any advice to the contrary. It sounds like you may be Late onset T1 (LADA) unless you have a lot of excess weight when T2 is more likely. They should be giving you some insulin temporarily to stabilise your blood sugar assuming there is no other reason for it. There are tests to help diagnose T1 rather than T2 but at the moment the key thing is a low-carb diet and some diabetes medication. BTW don't worry about fat or protein - just carbs.

 

[callumchilled]

I've seen diabetic nurse now, and she says I'm type 2 diabetic. I had a good cry on her shoulder, and she said that was ok. It's just something new to get used to. She said I have to start having breakfast now as the pills can make you a bit windy if not. I'm feeling a lot better about it now that people are talking to me about it.